DEKALB COUNTY, GA — A DeKalb County father has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2023 death of his 7-year-old son.

Prosecutors say 44-year-old Dante Daugherty left a gun under the driver’s seat while he went inside a gas station—leaving his two sons in the car.

The gun went off, killing his 7-year-old son, Z’ayre, while his brother sat nearby. The younger child was unable to explain exactly what happened.

Daugherty has been sentenced to ten years in prison, with two years to serve in custody.